Awaken Our Magick

April 12 – 14, 2019

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands, NC

Most exalted siblings,

The Spring Conference approaches and the liminal window it promises shudders in the winds of your coming change. Will you be here with us when we open this window and usher in our wildest dreams? We can do more together. Add your voice to ours and let the universe hear what you have to say.

If not here, where? If not now, when?

Spring is the perfect time to clean out our skeletons and take stock of what we’re left with after winter has finished whitening our world. The crocuses bloom, the daffodils creep, and the lilies of the valley pop along with the spring beauties while the song of the spring peepers trail close behind. It is time to shed our snow-stiffened snake skins and burn ourselves back to life with phoenix fire.

Here at The Mountain, I offer a space and a place for you to warm yourself with like-minded magicians of all walks of life. To swap mental seeds for your inner garden and explore what you may have been too nervous to try alone or in the past. You are more powerful than you know. You can do this and anything after. We are creating an opportunity for you to stand in your power, unafraid of your own God-self, supported by all of us who follow a similar path.

Maybe you’re unsure of what you have to offer. Come anyway. Your openness is a gift as good as, if not better than, any expertise you may or may not claim to have, but we often know more than we think we do. Even a small thing we pick up along the way has the power to change another person’s world. One of the tricks of magick is that you have to believe you’re fully capable of changing the world. If you feel you’re not there, come anyway. We’ll believe in you for you. The universe loves to play.

And play we shall.

Intermixed with weekend workshops will be free-form exploration in solo or spontaneous groupwork through the establishment of designated and open play spaces throughout the conference for various fields of spirituality, such as connecting to spirits, creating rituals of your own, sharing healing touch with others, and discussing concepts in a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. Wherever you are, you will find both mentors and seekers in whatever flavor you come: non-theist, poly-theist, mono-theist, medium, healer, psychic, shaman, spiritualist, practitioner, priest, dreamer, channeler, alchemist, mage, meditator, wizard, witch, writer, whatever. There is a place for you here.

Awaken Our Magick

April 12 – 14, 2019

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center, Highlands, NC

Beloved Siblings,

Magick is defined as the science and art of causing change in conformity to one’s will.

Maybe this turns you off, but I want to magick with everyone, everywhere, all the time. You may not know it, but every single one of you magicks, and every single one of you magicks in a deliciously unique way.

When I say “you magick,” what I mean is “you think, speak, and act in ways that manifest your world.” The shadow side of this is that, in reality, you can never not manifest your world. You either do it consciously through intention, or unconsciously through reaction.

Our dominant society often indoctrinates us into a cold (minus 457.87 degrees Fahrenheit) and unfeeling (without consciousness and absolutely objective) universe of material limitations, which distracts us from our own limitless possibilities. As salve, we are often taught that “everything happens for a reason” and “there is a bigger plan for you.” But neither of these partial truths give us back our power to define our own universes and become what we desire to be, so let me offer this to you as a reminder: There is no power in the universe that can stop you. So long as you have your will, you will find a way.

As convener, I request your presence this spring at The Mountain to “Awaken Our Magick” as a community. Together, we are going to create a space for all your magicks to be present, heard, and shared with others. Whether your magick takes the form of basic intentionality, ceremony and ritual, trance and other altered states, energy manipulation, psychic intuition, spirit communication, or any other form you have dreamt up, you are welcome here. Advanced practitioners, complete neophytes, and everyone left of, right of, or in between, are welcome here.

Raise your freak flag, gather your talismans, and prepare yourself for explorations into the invisible fabric of reality that underlies this one. Hand in hand, let’s cross the veil, and feel the omnipresence of love and light on the other side (safe, sane, and consensual practice, of course). No dying necessary.

Now calling for workshop leaders for the aforementioned topics and anything else that your intuition and your spirits tell you needs to be at our spring retreat. Please contact J.L.Buchanan@gmail.com directly or Council@GaySpiritVisions.org with requests and further questions.

A new year is upon us, and I wanted to give you an update on what’s happening with Gay Spirit Visions.

January gets its name from Janus, the Greek god who had one face looking forward and another on the back of his head looking backward. It’s an appropriately named month as January, with its post-holiday lull, is a fine time to reflect on the past, reassess, and to reengage with the future.

That is at least as true for organizations like Gay Spirit Visions as it is for individuals, and with that in mind, your GSV Council wanted to give you an update on what our amazing community did in 2018 and what we are looking forward to this year. We feel that it’s important that our community know what’s going on with this organization we hold so close to our hearts, and we hope to make this State of the Tribe letter an annual update so that the members of our magical GSV family, widely scattered as they are, are kept apprised of our efforts on their behalf.

2019 is going to be an amazing year for us. Not only is 2019 going to be the 30th anniversary of Gay Spirit Visions, it will also be the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that launched the modern gay rights movement! The glamorous Cami Delgado will be the Convener of Fall Conference XXX, and we are expecting it to be magical!!!

Looking Back at 2018

In 2018 The Trusted Elders of Gay Spirit Visions worked with Conveners to put on three events: the Winter Meditation “Bringing Darkness to the Light,” convened by Andy Foskey; the Spring Retreat “Embodying Community: Our Big Spring Thing,” co-convened by the GSV Council; and the Fall Conference, “Insatiable Curiosity,” convened by Randy Taylor. Attendance for these events was 164 magical, open-hearted men who came from around the country (and the world!) to be a part of the GSV community.

The Gay Spirit Visions Communities

I like to think of GSV as a movement as much as an organization. Gay men everywhere have a hunger for spiritual connection and the warm community we offer, and that movement has taken, or is taking, shape in communities around the country.

Atlanta, the GSV Mothership, has found itself in a state of flux in recent years. Randall Cumbaa will be hosting a GSV Heart Circle on January 26th, and information about that event can be found on the GSV Facebook page or by contacting Randall. GSV potlucks are happening in the Atlanta area randomly several times a year, and we are always looking for men who would like to host. Also, Randy Taylor has proposed a GSV book group to read Gay Men and the New Way Forward by Ray Riglioso, who is slated to be our keynote speaker at the Fall Conference.

Asheville has a large and vital (if unofficial) GSV community that maintains a close orbit around house parties and monthly massage events at the lovely home of Mahan-Kalpa.

Chicago’s branch of GSV is now in its eighth year. It has hosted a potluck every month since its founding in the fall of 2011. Seven Chicago men attended the Fall Conference in 2018. At various times GSV-C has offered a coffeeklatch as well as a book group, and we currently plan on having a booth at Chicago’s Pagan Pride Fair in September.

The Business of 2018

Last year was a busy year for your council as we worked on preserving our past, refining our processes, and preparing for the future. •2018 saw a huge push to build and refine the GSV archives housed at Georgia State University. The history of GSV is being established and preserved in the form of photographs, video interviews, and ephemera from past conferences. This collection is open to all members of GSV as well as scholars wanting to document the history of our community.
•In June the council finalized a set of bylaws for GSV, which can be found here. (GSV Bylaws)
•Starting with the Fall Conference, the council introduced tiered pricing, which allows you to pay for exactly the housing option you want at our events held up on The Mountain. While the initial announcement of this change was met with concern, the feedback received after the Fall Conference was quite positive, and we will be using the tiered pricing system going forward.
•At the November face-to-face meeting, the council voted to change to how we handle our council fires at the Spring and Fall events. Going forward, the council fire will be allowed to go out at the end of each night, and it will be rebuilt by the Firekeeper every evening at dusk, thereby reducing our carbon footprint and allowing the Firekeeper the luxury of sleeping through the night and not having to get up at 3:00 a.m. to stoke the fire. We will also be obtaining a new urn for the ashes that we gather at the end of the Spring and Fall conferences.
•After noticing that first-time attendees to the Fall Conference were paying for the extra day – and falling through the cracks — the council decided to call that extra day before the Fall Conference an Alumni and Planning Day to clarify what it is and who is most likely to benefit from it.
•Spearheaded by Randall, the council is working on a Policies and Procedures Manual that we expect to finalize at our June face-to-face council meeting.
•After noting a clear pattern of bad corporate behavior by Wells-Fargo, the council voted to move GSV’s funds to a smaller and more ethical financial institution.

Council Changes

The Council of Trusted Elders of Gay Spirit Visions is tasked with bringing the community together for up to three wonderful gatherings a year. The council is not a static thing; its ways are not mysterious, and it is not separate from the community it serves. The council is a living entity comprising members of the community from around the country who love this tribe of men and want to take it to ever greater degrees of success. The council gathers, it works, it plays, it pulses like a loving heart.

And, like any living thing, it changes.

Council Departures

Three of our long-serving council members — Wendell “Fairy Frog Power Princess” Johnson, Doug “Kaptain Krunch” Emerson, and Tony James – reached the conclusion of their three-year terms and rolled off council at the end of December.

Our thanks flow to these extraordinary men for their loving service to our community. They went above and beyond the call of duty for GSV. They were on the council during a particularly challenging period in GSV’s history, and they stayed focused, maintained organizational cohesion, and ensured that GSV is able to continue its mission into the future.

Wendell was not just GSV’s long-term Treasurer, he has also been the tireless champion of the silent auction that funds our financial assistance efforts. Wendell was a mindful and responsible steward of GSV’s funds, and he left the accounts and the scholarship fund in excellent shape for his successors.

Doug has been a diligent member of the Altared Spaces Working Circle and a devoted overseer and defender of GSV’s Facebook page.

Tony James is, and has long been, a HUGE part of GSV’s organizational memory, and his years of diligent service to our tribe — on council and off — have been a truly gracious gift to our community.

The greater GSV community may or may not know how much these men have done for our tribe, but we on the council certainly do, and we are aglow with gratitude.

Incoming!

With departures there come new arrivals. The council met in Asheville in November to vote on new members and to elect new officers. We start this year off by welcoming three intrepid new champions onto the GSV council: Jonny “Mothra” Gray, Mackie Obando, and Randy Taylor.

Jonny “Mothra” Gray began attending GSV at the Fall Conference in 2016. He has attended the Fall Conference and Winter Retreat since then. He has volunteered extensively with the Shauna Pleas Boutique, and he has also helped with sound for the talent show. In the fall of 2017 he took his Faerie name, “Mothra.” In the mundane world, Jonny is a professor of Communication Studies at Southern Illinois University. He is also the host of the community radio (WDBX) show and podcast, “Isn’t It Queer.”

Mackie Obando was born in Lima, Perú and moved to Atlanta in 1996, just in time for the Olympics. He works in the hospitality field, where he enjoys getting to know a variety of cultures.His first experience with GSV was the 2015 Spring Retreat, and he has attended several conferences since. Being in the Parade of Beauties and the Talent Show are his favorite aspects of the GSV experience, followed by the small group experience, which he feels to be enrichment for the soul. Music, singing, dance, and musical theater are few of Mackie’s many passions.

Randy Taylor graduated to GSV from being a Radical Faery. He has been involved with GSV from its inception, and it was he who designed GSV’s iconic dancing men images for one of the early flyers. His spiritual journey has included Christianity, Paganism, Shamanism, Buddhism, Science of Mind, Steampunk, agnosticism, Laconneau, Trance Postures, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. His current practice includes sacred geometry, TM, playfulness, curiosity, and Yoga. His life is a synthesis of all he has experienced so far, and he brings this experience to his service with GSV. He remains a bit of a steampunk Faery, and his drag is costumes. He is semi-retired and lives in East Atlanta, where he recently celebrated a one year anniversary with his partner Cal Gough. Randy was the Convener of the 2018 Fall Conference “Insatiable Curiosity.”

Note that you can always find a current roster of who’s on council by going to theparticipatory leadership page of the GSV website.

Working Circles: Come Play With Us!

The primary purpose of the Council of Trusted Elders of Gay Spirit Visions council is to ensure that GSV produces conferences for this community. Without the support and hard work of our dedicated Working Circles, the GSV council would be powerless to put on the amazing events that we have now been doing for 30 YEARS.

Volunteering with the GSV Working Circles is a fantastic way to build community, to meet new friends, to help create GSV magic, and to ensure the continuation of our magnificent, open-hearted tribe. The Liaisons are the coordinators of their respective Working Circles, and we encourage you to reach out to them if you feel called to dive into GSV for more than the occasional conference. Being on a GSV Working Circle is one of the best ways to keep that GSV magic going all year long!

Facing Forward: Plunging into 2019

GSV is very much a living community, and we are ever looking forward to our next opportunity to gather. We have a Winter Meditation coming up in less than two weeks, a Heart Circle in Atlanta on January 26th, and two other conferences currently in the planning process.

Feed the Kitty!

If you would like to contribute to GSV, but find yourself with more money than spare time, donations can be made on the GSV website or by mailing a check to GSV, PO Box 339, Decatur GA 30031. GSV is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to GSV are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The Community Is You

Native Americans had a saying, “The strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf.” So it is with Gay Spirit Visions. All that we do is the result of the magic of community and teamwork. You are warmly invited to communicate with the council, to send us feedback, to ask us for what you need from GSV, to tell us of your sweet dreams of community and how our conferences might make those dreams come true. You can reach us atCouncil@GaySpiritVisions.org We try to respond to emails within a week.

Thank you for being a member of our amazing community. We hope you like where we’re going.

Warm hugs to all of my GSV siblings! I look forward to seeing you up on The Mountain or wherever our paths may cross.

GSV 2019 Winter Meditation

Tranquil Reflection & Mindful Intention

January 18-20, 2019

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center ~ Highlands, NC

Dear Siblings,

Winter at The Mountain is a magical experience. Long dark hours in retreat from life’s commitments create space for tranquil reflection and mindful intention. The Mountain beckons you to come, let go, and be in the moment.

This year’s Winter Meditation will provide you the opportunity to experience activities with the purpose of creating space to be present and open to clarity. Silent, Guided, and Mindful meditation will be offered. Additionally, Sacred Sound Journey, Chakra Dhyana, and Sacred Healing Touch will be offered. Active methods of creating present awareness will include T‘ai Chi Ch‘üan, Iyengar Yoga, Theravada Walking Meditation, and Contemplative Drumming. Finally, intention setting activities will include Soulful Breathwork, Mindful Scripting, and Sacred Elder Bead stringing. The weekend will start with a pilgrimage of light and be complete with the calm of thoughtful intention.

Pack a “steamer trunk” if you wish and include warm comfortable clothing for times of stillness, loose attire for movement activities, ritual attire (robe, cape, cassock, etc.) for a pilgrimage, a mat, pillow and/or blanket for other activities, a drum, pen and paper, and flannel jammies!

I hope you will join your brothers at The Mountain and be in the midst of love, reflection, consciousness, stillness, presentness, and…. to just be!

We want anyone who resonates with our mission to be able to attend our gatherings. The Raven Wolfdancer Financial Assistance Fund was created to help offset the cost of a GSV gathering so that attending does not impose undue financial hardship. For more information and to apply for assistance,click here.

GSV 2019 Winter Meditation

Tranquil Reflection & Mindful Intention

January 18-20, 2019

The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center ~ Highlands, NC

Dear Siblings,
When there are no ripples on the water of a lake its surface becomes almost invisible as it reflects the beauty of the landscape around it; the trees and the sky. In the same way, the still mind reflects the beauty of creation and melts into a state of peaceful awareness. In this state of thoughtless awareness we think neither of the past nor of the future. We are entirely in the present moment as we start to enjoy our Self, our spirit, our own inner beauty and the beauty of creation. We simply embrace being and become less distracted by the simple joys of our existence.
Meditation is a state of profound and deep peace that occurs when the mind is calm and silent, yet completely alert. This is just the beginning of an inner transformation that takes us to a higher level of awareness. Whatever method of meditation is used, the purpose is not to fight off the mind chatter of thoughts, but to stay focused on the present moment and use our breathing, a mantra, a repetitive activity or other technique to keep us grounded in the moment. When we have silenced the chatter and become focused on the present moment, we open ourselves to clarity, direction, and inspiration.
This year’s Winter Meditation will provide you the opportunity to experience activities with the purpose of creating space to be present and open to clarity. Silent, Guided, and Mindful meditation will be offered. Additionally, Sacred Sound Journey, Chakra Dhyana, and Sacred Healing Touch will be offered. Active methods of creating present awareness will include T‘ai Chi Ch‘üan, Iyengar Yoga, Theravada Walking Meditation, and Contemplative Drumming. Finally, intention setting activities will include Soulful Breathwork, Mindful Scripting, and Sacred Elder Bead stringing. The weekend will start with a pilgrimage of light and be complete with the calm of thoughtful intention.
Pack a “steamer trunk” if you wish and be sure to include warm comfortable clothing for times of stillness, loose attire for movement activities, ritual attire (robe, cape, cassock, etc.) for a pilgrimage, a mat, pillow and/or blanket for other activities, a drum, pen and paper, and flannel jammies!
I hope you will join your brothers at The Mountain in January to be in the midst of love, reflection, consciousness, stillness, presentness, and…. to just be!
I look forward to seeing you in January.
Bill Harris
2019 Winter Meditation Convener
Register for the 2019 Winter Meditation

Upcoming Gatherings

Spring Retreat Dates

Fall Conference Dates

Winter Meditation Dates

January 17 - 19, 2020
January 15 - 17, 2021

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GSV is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Donations are tax-deductible. To designate your donation to support our Financial Assistance Fund, type ASSISTANCE in the box below. Otherwise, the donation will support our General Fund.